Adjustable creel assembly



W'Tw HEWITT {ADJUSTABLE CREEL ASSEMBLY.

March 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13. 1958 .WooDRow W. Hewn'T,

NVENTOR:

BY mMM+W ATTORNEYS I March 31, 1959 w. w. HEWITT v ADJUSTABLE CREEL. ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13. 1958 INVENTORI WOODROW W. HEWITT ATTORNEYS United States Patent ADJUSTABLE CREEL ASSEMBLY Woodrow W. Hewitt, Charlotte, N.C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Parks-Cramer Company, Fitchburg, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 13, 1958, Serial No. 708,546 3 Claims. (11. 287-54) This invention relates to textile machinery, such as twisters and spinning frames and the like, which machines shall be hereinafter generically referred to as twisting machines. The present invention resides in an adjustable creel assembly which constitutes an improvement over the creel disclosed in my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 591,598, filed June 15, 1956, now Patent No. 2,819,855.

The present invention is particularly concerned with creels of the type which are positioned above the drafting rolls and comprise a plurality of vertical standards, each of which supports one or more lateral arms. Spindle supporting tracks extend longitudinally of the twisting machine and are suitably secured to the lateral arms, each of the spindle supporting tracks having a plurality of spindles adjustably secured thereto and depending therefrom, which spindles receive and support the upper ends of creel bobbins from whence yarn or roving is withdrawn in its course to the drafting rolls.

It is a common practice in the textile industry to provide a creel in which the lateral arms thereof are levelthat is, the arms are mounted on their respective standards to be substantially parallel to the platform of the twisting machine. This arrangement results in positioning each of the plurality of spindle supporting tracks secured to the same series of lateral arms at the same height or elevation with respect to the platform of the twisting machine. Consequently, the spindles secured to these spindle supporting tracks and the bobbins mounted thereon are each located at the same height.

Upon it being necessary to replace a bobbin which has become substantially exhausted of yarn, the creel operator has found it to be exceedingly difficult to discern the exact location of the bobbin in question and to grasp the bobbin to be replaced because its location is relatively indistinguishable, each bobbin being mounted at the same height. In my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 591,598, filed June 15, 1956, now Patent No. 2,819,855, referred to above, there is disclosed a lateral creel arm attached intermediate its ends to a vertical standard. The creel arm has a stepped width arrangement whereby it is possible to secure the innermost or centrally located spindle supporting tracks at lower elevations than the outwardly positioned spindle supporting tracks secured to the creel arm. This results in the bobbins mounted on spindles depending from the innermost spindle supporting tracks being disposed at a height lower than that of the bobbins mounted on spindles depending from the outwardly positioned spindle supporting tracks. By providing for a progressive lowering of the bobbin heights from the outer ends of the creel arm inwardly to the central portion, the creel arm disclosed in my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 591,598, filed June 15, 1956, now Patent No. 2,819,855, facilitates the duties of the creel operator in replacing a' bobbin from which the yarn has been substantially exhausted. Such an arrangement allows the .mounted on the standard, the coupling being broken operator to quickly grasp the lowermost end of a bobbin depending from an inner spindle supporting track without fumbling for this end because it protrudes below the corresponding end of a bobbin depending from an outwardly disposed track and is not partially hidden as is the case in conventional structures. The stepped width arrangement of this creel arm although efiective for the purpose desired would necessitate the use of expensive casting techniques for its manufacture.

From a cost stand-point, it would be highly desirable to eliminate casting in favor of extruding the creel arms, but the use of an extruded creel arm would again bring the problem of locating the spindle supporting tracks to be secured thereto at progressively lower elevations from the outer ends inwardly to the central portion into focus. An extruded creel arm would be straight and would have a uniform cross-section, thus eliminating a stepped-width arrangement for the creel arm and its resultant beneficial function.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a creel wherein each arm is comprised of a pair of sections coupled to a vertical standard by means of a seg-' the creel arm sections at difierent elevations from the twisting machine, the elevation of the spindle supporting tracks being progressively higher from the central por tion of the creel arm outwardly to its opposite ends.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a two-piece sleeve coupling for assembling creel arm sections to a vertical standard, said two-piece coupling having open ended chambers laterally disposed with respect to the standard to telescopically receive creel arm sections and being provided with clamping means to tightly secure the sleeve coupling to the vertical standard while securing the creel arm sections in place within opposite ends of the sleeve coupling. The chambers may be inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane to dispose the creel arm sections in upwardly and outwardly inclined positions for permitting spindle supporting tracks secured to the creel arm sections to be located at progressively higher elevations from the inner portions of the creel arm sections outwardly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a segmental sleeve coupling of general utility for mounting a pair of arms on a supporting standard disposed transversely thereto, the segments of the coupling being adapted to be clamped together for tightly securing the coupling to the standard while tightly securing the arms within oppositely disposed chambers formed in the coupling.

Other objects not specifically enumerated herein will become more readily apparent after reading the description which follows in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of a twisting machine, showing the adjustable creel assembly mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the two-piece sleeve coupling taken along the line 3--3 in Figure 1 and showing the vertical standard in section;

Figure 4 is an enlarged exploded isometric view of the two-piece sleeve coupling.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of a modified form of the two-piece sleeve coupling Patented Mar. 31, 1959 away to show individual means for securing the creel arm sections therewithin and one such means being partially shown in section;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 5, and showing the modified two-piece coupling when assembled.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the frame of a twisting machine at 10. The frame 10 includes a platform 11 having side portions which support conventional roll stand beams 12, said roll stand beams having a plurality of roll stands 13 mounted thereon. The roll stands 13 carry drafting rolls 14. The twisting machine may also be provided with a conventional clearer system which includes a substantially rectangular suction duct 15 extending longitudinally of the machine and centrally positioned on the platform 11.

A plurality of cylindrical vertical standards 20, only one of which is shown in Figure 1, are positioned above the platform 11, each of the standards being secured thereto by a creel bracket 21. Each vertical standard may have one or more lateral creel arms extending therefrom, one such creel arm being shown at 22 in Figure l. The creel arm 22 comprises a pair of outwardly extending creel arm sections 23, 24 connected together and to the vertical standard 20 by a sleeve coupling 25. The creel arm sections 23, 24 are preferably of the type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 708,545, filed concurrently herewith, and each takes the form of an inverted U-shaped cross-section 26 having inwardly extending ledges or guideways 27, as shown in Figure 2. The free end of each creel arm section may be provided with a removable cap member 28. A series of spindles 29 depend from elongated supporting tracks 30 which may be attached to each of the creel arm sections 23, 24 by suitable attaching means or brackets 31. The attaching means or brackets 31 may be of the type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 708,545, filed concurrently herewith and referred to above. Each spindle 29 has a tubular bobbin 32 mounted thereon containing a package of yarn 33.

It will be noted that each of the creel arm sections 23, 24 extends outwardly and upwardly at a slight inclined angle to the horizontal which permits the individual packages of yarn 33 to depend at varying heights below the creel arm sections 23, 24. Referring to the sleeve coupling which connects the creel arm sections 23, 24 together and to the vertical standard 20, it will be observed more clearly in Figure 4 that the sleeve coupling comprises two identical segments or members 40, 40. It will be understood in describing the segment 40 of the sleeve coupling 25, an identical structural part identified by the same reference numeral with a prime notation added is also present in the segment 40'. The segment 40 comprises a pair of elongated oppositely disposed creel arm receiving portions 41, 42 intermediate which is a central standard receiving portion 43 connecting the portions 41, 42 together.

Each of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 42 extending from its junction with the standard receiving portion 43 is inclined upwardly at a slight angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and includes a side wall 44 whose interior surface corresponds in shape to the exterior surface of the side wall of a creel arm section. The side wall 44 merges with a curved wall 45 which provides a top wall for each of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 42 and corresponds in shape along its interior surface with the exterior surface of the creel arm section to be received thereby. Integral with the lower edge of each side wall 44 there is an inclined fiat bottom wall 46. An end wall 47 integral with the side wall 44-and extending between the top wall 45 and the bottom wall 46 is interposed between each of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 42 and the standard receiving portion 43 of the segment 40. The standard receiving portion 43 is provided with a groove 50 having a semi-circular cross-section, said groove 50 being adapted to receive approximately one-half of the circumference of the cylindrical vertical standard 20, as shown in Figure 3. It is contemplated that standards and creel arm sections of varying cross-sectional shapes may be employed within the spirit of this invention, in which case the segments 40, 40 of the sleeve coupling 25 would be modified to accommodate the particular crosssectional shapes of the standard and creel arm sections used.

It will be observed that the outwardly directed free end of the bottom wall 46 of each of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 42 is provided with a suitable recess 51 for a purpose to be subsequently described. A pair of spaced parallel axially alined bore holes 52, 53 extend transversely through the end walls 47 of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 42" respectively.

When the sleeve coupling 25 is assembled, the two segments 40, 40' are brought together in opposing rela tionship. The pair of bore holes 52, 53 of segment 40 are alined with the pair of bore holes 52', 53' of se ment 40'. It will thus be noted that the grooves 50, 50 cooperate to define a cylindrical bore through the sleeve coupling 25 for reception of the vertical standard 20, and the creel arm receiving portions 41, 41 and 42, 42 cooperate to define a pair of oppositely extending chambers having open outer ends for reception of the creel arm sections 23, 24 respectively. Each recess 51 in segment 40 cooperates with its counterpart recess 51 in segment 40', to define a notch in the bottom wall 46, 46' of each of the pair of oppositely extending chambers adjacent the openouter end thereof. The inner bracket 31 carried by each of the creel arm sections 23 and 24, respectively, may be received within the corresponding notch in order topermit the spindle supporting track 30 held by the bracket 31 to be moved closer to the standard 20'should this be found desirable. The two segments 40, 40' comprising the sleeve coupling 25 may be suitably secured together by means such as stud members 54 extending through the alined pairs of bores 52, 52 and 53, 53. Each stud member 54 includes a head 55 at one end for abutment against the exterior surface of one of the segments 40, 40 comprising the sleeve coupling 25. The opposite end of the stud member 54 protrudes outwardly from the other one of the segments 40, 40 to threadably receive an end nut 56.

When the segments 40, 40' have been assembled about the vertical standard 20, the stud members 54 may be positioned in the bores'52, 52' and 53, 53, and the end nuts 56 may be threaded about the ends of their respective stud members 54 to thereby clamp the sleeve coupling 25 in position about'the vertical standard 20. Prior to the threading of the end nuts 56 about their respective stud members54 an amount sufli cient to clamp the sleeve coupling 25 about the standard 20, the creel arm sections 23, 24 may be telescopically inserted within the chambers provided by the creel arm receiving portions 41, 41 and 42, 42 of the sleeve coupling 25. The creel arm sections 23, 24 are loosely received within their respective chambers and extend outwardly therefrom at a slight upward inclined angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The end nuts 56 may then be threaded about the stud members 54 sufficientlyto clamp the sleeve coupling 25 about the vertical standard 20 while substantially simultaneously clamping the creel arm sections 23, 24 within their respective chambers provided in the sleeve coupling-25. It will be'noted that the pair of end walls 47, 47 and 47, 47' in the sleeve coupling 25 provides a limiting means as to theextent to which the creel arm sections'23; 24 may be inserted within the sleeve coupling 25.

It will be observed that the two-piece coupling 25 permits the insertion of creel arm sections 23, 24 within its creel arm receiving portions 41, 41' and 42, 42' thereby positioning these creel arm sections laterally with respect to the vertical standard and in upwardly and outwardly inclined relation to a horizontal plane. The creel arm sections 23, 24 are thus located in outwardly divergent relationship with respect to each other and are adapted to support the tracks 30 at progressively increasing elevations from the inner ends of the creel arm sections 23, 24 outwardly. Each of the tracks 30 is supported at a plurality of places along its longitudinal extent from creel assemblies similar to the one described, thereby being maintained in a level condition by the several brackets 31 in the manner disclosed in my copending United States patent application, Serial No. 708,- 545, filed concurrently herewith, to allow the spindles 29 mounted on the track to depend therefrom in an upright vertical position. Accordingly, the yarn 33 contained on the bobbins 32 is permitted to unwind from the bobbins in a proper manner as it is fed to the drafting rolls 14.

As shown in Figure 1, the creel arm sections 23 and 24 may be provided with longitudinally extending roving rods or guides 60 connected thereto by suitable means, such as bars 61 depending vertically from the creel arm sections 23 and 24, at the lower ends of which are carried the roving rods 60. The ends of the roving or yarn from the yarn packages 33 hanging from the creel arm 22 are adapted to be passed over the roving rods 60 and then downwardly to the drafting rolls 14.

By securing the spindle supporting tracks 30 to the creel arm sections 23 and 24 at progressively increasing elevations from the inner ends of these sections outwardly, the bobbins 32 mounted on the spindles 29 carried thereby are arranged in longitudinal rows with each row being at a progressively greater height than the inner row adjacent thereto. Thus, when the yarn has become substantially exhausted from one bobbin, the creel operator can readily locate the lower end of this bobbin for replacing it without fumbling for the same because its lower end is disposed at a different level than that of bobbins in rows adjacent thereto.

The sleeve coupling permits the use of extruded creel arm sections which may be inserted in opposite ends of the sleeve coupling so as to be positioned in an upwardly and outwardly inclined manner. The creel arm sections 23, 24 thus extend laterally from the standard 20 in divergent relation with respect to each other and permit the spindle supporting tracks to be located at different elevations as described. The necessity for casting a creel arm to accomplish this purpose with its resulting expense is eliminated. Moreover, the extruded creel arm sections may be made of any lengths desired depending on the space requirements for the creel.

Where manufacturing tolerances are such that it is inappropriate to obtain clamping engagement between the segmental sleeve coupling 25 and the creel arm sections 23, 24 at substantially the same time as clamping engagement is obtained between the segmental sleeve coupling 25 and the standard 20, a modified form of the sleeve coupling 25, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, may be used. In this modified form of the invention, a suitable fastener means 70 is provided for each of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 41 and 42, 42'.

Each of the fastener means 70 comprises a stud element or bolt 71 having a threaded shank and a wedge nut 72 provided with a threaded bore therein and adapted to threadably receive the shank of bolt 71. The bottom walls 46, 46' of each creel arm receiving portion 41, 41 and 42, 42 are suitably apertured to permit the shanks of the bolts 71 to be loosely passed therethrough. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, opposing grooves may be formed in the bottom walls 46, 46' of the segments 40, 40' for each of the creel armreceiving portions. 41, 41

and 42, 42' to collectively define the apertures 73 through which the shanks of the bolts 71 are loosely passed. A washer 74 may be interposedbetween the lower surface of the bottom wall 46,46 and the head of each bolt 71 When the bolts 71 have been inserted in the apertures 73, their threaded shanks extend upwardly within the chambers of the creel arm receiving portions 41, 41' and 42, 42 for reception of the wedge nuts 72. As shown, each wedge nut 72 is provided with an upper surface 75 and a lower surface 76 of substantially square shape. The lower surface 76 is relatively small in area when compared to the upper surface 75, thereby forming each of the four flat sides 77 of the wedge nut 72 with a tapered configuration from the upper surface 75 to the lower surface 76. Thus, it will be seen that when the wedge nuts 72 are threaded about the shanks of their respective bolts 71, they present two pairs of oppositely disposed inclined wedging surfaces defined by their four flat sides 77.. The wedging surfaces forming each op-' positely disposed pair diverge upwardly.

The segments 40, 40' of themodified sleeve coupling 25 are first tightly secured to the standard 20 by threading the end nuts 56 about the ends oftheir respective stud members 54 to clamp the segments 40, 40' in position about the standard 20. -At this stage of assembly, the creel arm sections 23; 24; may be telescopically inserted within the chambers provided by the creel arm receiving portions 41, 41' and 42, 42, where they will be loosely retained. It should be noted that the vertical dimension of each wedge nut 72 is sufiiciently large to enable one pair of its oppositely disposed flat sides 77 to engage the incoming ends of the guideways 27 formed on the creel arm section to be inserted in each chamber when the wedgenut -72 is resting against the bottom wall 46, 46'. This engagement serves to cam the wedge nuts 72 upwardly in -their respective chambers when the creel arm sections 23, 24 are inserted therein.

The bolts 71 are then rotated, the wedge nuts 72 being restrained against movement with their respective bolts 71 by virtue of the engagement between the pair of oppositely disposed flat sides 77 on each nut and the guideways 27 on the corresponding creel arm section. The rotation of the bolts 71 effects a downward movement of the wedge nuts 72 with respect thereto, whereupon the creel arm sections 23, 24 will become tightly secured within their respective chambers.

It will be observed that the downward movement of the wedge nuts 72 not only forces the creel arm sections 23, 24 tightly against the bottom wall 46, 46' of their respective creel arm receiving portions 41, 41' and 42, 42, but also wedges the creel arm sections against the corresponding side walls of the creel arm receiving portions, such wedging action increasing as the bolts 71 continue to be rotated. Although a particular shape for the wedge nuts 72 has been illustrated and described, it should be understood that various shapes for the wedge nuts 72 could be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. The modified form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6 permits the segmental sleeve coupling 25 to be tightly secured to the standard 20, after which the creel arm sections 23, 24 may be tightly secured within the sleeve coupling 25.

It will be apparent that the sleeve coupling 25 of this invention could also be formed of top and bottom mating segments rather than the two side segments illustrated, in which case the top segment would not be identical with the bottom segment.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A creel for use with textile machinery, such as a.

twisting machine, said creel comprising a standard, a sleeve coupling adapted to .be' mounted about said standard, said sleeve coupling. having a pair of mating segments, said segments colleetively' defining a bore therethrough for receiving said standard, said segments each having elongated creel arm' receiving portions extending outwardly from oppositely disposed positions relative to said bore, said creel arm receiving portions collectively defining a chamber in opposit ends thereof with each chamber extending laterally with respect to said standard and being open at its outer end, each of said chambers being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, a creel arm section received in each of said chambers, each of said creel arm sections being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, an inner wall in each of said creel arm receiving portions remote from the open outer end of the chamber thereof to limit the extent to which the creel arm sections may be inserted Within their respective creel arm receiving portions, and means positioned on opposite sides of the standard substantially along axes of said chambers and between the chambers and said bore to clamp. said segments together and to tightly secure said sleeve coupling to said standard.

2. A creel for use with textile machinery, such as a twisting machine, said creel comprising a standard, a sleeve coupling adapted to be mounted about said standard, said sleeve coupling having a pair of mating segments, said segments collectively defining a bore therethrough for receiving said standard, said segments each having elongated creel arm receivingportions extending outwardly from oppositely disposed positions relative to said bore, said creel arm receiving portions collectively defining a chamber in opposite ends thereof with each chamber extending laterally with respect to said standard and being open at its outer end; each of said chambers being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, a creel arm section received in each of said chambers, each of said creel arm sections being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, an end wall disposed within each of said creel arm receivin portions and defining the inner boundary of its chamber; said end walls limiting the extent to which the creel arms sections may be inserted within their respective creel arm receiving portions, and

means onopposite sides of the standard substantially along the axes of said chambers and penetrating said end walls to clamp said segments together and to tightly secure said sleeve coupling to said standard.

3. A creel for use with textile machinery, such as a twisting machine for supporting bobbins of yarn, said creel comprising a standard, a sleeve coupling adapted to be mounted about said standard, said sleeve coupling having a pair of mating segments, said segments collectively defining a bore therethrough for receiving said standard, each of said segments having elongated creel arm receiving portions extending outwardly from oppositely disposed positions relative to said bore, collectively said creel arm receiving portions defining a pair of chambers therein with each chamber extending laterally with respect to said standard and being open at its outer end, each of said chambers being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, said bore being transversely disposed with respect to said chambers and interposed therebetween, means on opposite sides of the standard substantially along axes of said chambers and between the chambers and bore to clamp said segments together and to tightly secure said standard within said bore, a creel arm section received in each of said chambers, each of said creel arm sections being inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, spaced apart means depending from said creel arm sections for supporting bobbins of yarn therefrom at varying heights, an end wall disposed within each of said creel arm receiving portions and defining the inner boundary of its chamber, said end walls limiting the extent to which the creel arm sections may be inserted within their respective creel arm receiving portions, and fastener means extending into each of said chambers to tightly secure the creel arm section therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,455 Braun Feb. 26, 1918 1,261,213 Clay Apr. 2, 1918 1,864,339 Church June 21, 1932 2,018,539 Welsh 1 Oct. 22, 1935 2,711,917 Blu t June 28, 1955 2,715,537 Hofheimer Aug. 16, 1955 

